


No more room for clouds

by targaryen_melodrama



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: M/M, POV Sam Wilson, Plotless Fluff, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:13:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24759130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/targaryen_melodrama/pseuds/targaryen_melodrama
Summary: “If you wanted to debut a new look, you could’ve just asked for my help,” Sam says. It’s nonsense, since Sam’s experience with hair that’s not his is limited to helping his sister and cousins take out their braids, but if Sam keeps talking, he’ll be able to focus on his task without thinking too much about it. He desperately needs to keep his mind on his task, since having his hands buried in a shirtless Bucky’s hair is thefurthestthing from helping his relatives with their braids.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Sam Wilson
Comments: 22
Kudos: 117





	No more room for clouds

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to NEETheadphones for suggesting the song the title is from! 
> 
> Not beta'ed, feel free to point out typos, etc.

"This is beyond my paygrade.” 

“Technically, we’re not being paid,” Bucky murmurs. 

“My point exactly. Bend back a little bit?” Bucky obeys, leaning back into the chair further, which allows Sam more access to the front of his hair. The comb slides through relatively smoothly considering the amount of dust, grime and debris that had fallen directly on Bucky’s head. 

“If you wanted to debut a new look, you could’ve just asked for my help,” Sam says. It’s nonsense, since Sam’s experience with hair that’s not his is limited to helping his sister and cousins take out their braids, but if Sam keeps talking, he’ll be able to focus on his task without thinking too much about it. He desperately needs to keep his mind on his task, since having his hands buried in a shirtless Bucky’s hair is the _furthest_ thing from helping his relatives with their braids.

Bucky closes his eyes. “Hmm. I didn’t know you had opinions about my hair.”

“I have opinions about everything,” Sam says, tugging at a stubborn piece of crumbled drywall. Sam has _specific_ opinions about Bucky’s hair, so that’s not a lie. “Okay,” Sam says, tossing the comb in the overflowing trash can of their small bathroom. “I took out the worst of it, but it needs to be washed.”

Bucky doesn’t move an inch. “My shampoo’s still in the shower.”

Sam raises an eyebrow, and when he realizes Bucky can’t see it, he withholds a sigh and grabs the shampoo. “Do you have conditioner?”

“You said to only pack essentials,” Bucky says, frowning. 

Sam lets out a long sigh. “I’ll be back.” Getting conditioner from his bag back in the main part of their motel room gives Sam a chance to calm himself down. _Yes_ , washing someone’s hair is intimate. _Sure_ , he and Bucky have a pretty intimate relationship. _Of course_ they do, after a year or so of working together. _No_ , Sam doesn’t have to make a fool of himself just because he’ll be washing Bucky’s hair, which, _yes_ , is an intimate thing to do with someone he has an intimate relationship with. 

All of this stating the obvious does nothing for Sam’s nerves. Before he knows it, he’s back in the bathroom, watching Bucky, who still hasn't moved. 

“Ready?” Sam asks, for both their sakes.

Bucky nods. “Go ahead.”

Because luck is apparently not a thing that happens to you when you’re Captain America, this is one of the most well lit motel bathroom’s they’ve been in, and everything is clear under the cool white light. The rhythmic rise and fall of Bucky’s chest, how his hair gets darker once Sam runs lukewarm water over it, the way his lips part to let out a sigh when Sam starts lathering shampoo and massaging his scalp. 

“Should get you to wash my hair all the time,” Bucky says. Sam’s never heard him this relaxed, this soft. Even when they have to wake up at literal dawn, Bucky sounds awake and alert.

“Like I said, I’m not being paid nearly enough.”

“Who do I gotta talk to to make that happen?” Bucky drawls.

“My union rep—hey,” Sam says, thinking of the hundreds of times he’s cursed Shield since he took up the Cap mantel, “maybe we should actually unionize.” 

Bucky snorts. 

“What? We’re technically government employees, and I can think of ten pretty awful work conditions off the top of my head.”

“EHSA. Enhanced Human and Superhero Association.”

“Eh. We can do better than that”

“We’ll find something else.”

Bucky is quiet, then, and Sam has no choice but to focus on washing and rinsing grime out of Bucky’s hair. This whole mess was a complete accident, so Sam has nothing to be mad about, and since they’re technically off for the next week, Sam has nothing to plan except what movie they’ll watch before falling asleep. There’s truly nothing to distract Sam, and the faint smell of lemon and sage in the air draws him in even more. Sam turns the tap one last time to rinse the conditioner out of Bucky’s hair, careful not to let any foamy water fall in his eyes or ears. 

“There,” Sam says, a few moments later. “All done.” 

Bucky opens his eyes, more blue than usual against his dark hair. “Thanks, Sam. You okay?”

“I—sure. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I don’t know,” Bucky says, shrugging. He grabs a towel and throws in on his shoulders instead of drying his hair. “You’ve been...in your head.” 

Okay, so Sam’s never been good at hiding his emotions when he wasn’t acting in a professional capacity, but how the hell had Bucky managed to read him with his eyes closed? 

“It’s nothing. It’ll pass.” Unrequited feelings for someone he works closely with, in life or death situations. It’s nothing hasn’t faced before. 

“If it’s nothing, then why would it pass? You can tell me.” Sam can’t really take the concern in Bucky’s eyes. Or the fact that Bucky’s is still very shirtless. 

“You take care of me so well,” Bucky says, and Sam’s heart stops altogether. 

“I don’t—”

“Let me take care of you?”

“You don’t—I don’t think you can give me what I need right now,” Sam says, looking down at his feet. He bites his lip. “Thank you, though.”

Bucky’s bare feet are suddenly much closer than they were before, and Sam raises his head. Before he can even stutter out some excuse, Bucky gently cups Sam’s cheek. 

“You sure about that?”

“I—how?”

“No one washes their...work partner’s hair like that.”

“Really?” That can’t be it. It would be really embarrassing.

“Well, that, and the fact that I’m right there with you.” Bucky moves in closer and closer. There’s no chance of Sam’s heart working properly now. “You take care of me so well,” Bucky says again. “And you’re not that subtle.”

Bucky kisses him softly, bringing his other hand to Sam’s jaw. Everything but Bucky and the smell of lemons fades away for a few precious moments. 

“You asked me to wash your hair,” Sam says against Bucky’s lips before diving back in for two more quick kisses. “I don’t think subtlety is your strong suit either.”

Sam feels Bucky’s lips stretch into a smile against his mouth, and it takes all his might not to kiss Bucky again and not ever stop. 

“Got us here, didn’t it?”

Sam kisses him instead of answering. He doesn’t think Bucky will mind at all.

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Cool People by Chloe x Halle. 
> 
> I am on [Tumblr](http://targaryenmelodrama.tumblr.com)!


End file.
